Paper Dreams
by The Bloody Rad Fox
Summary: The death of Trigon released Raven from her tragic date with destiny, and she wonders what life she can hope to lead in the aftermath. A search for self, restless nights, and a spark found that was never expected... StarXRae. T for now, likely M later.
1. Chapter I

Paper Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, the cartoon or comic versions. This is a work for no profit.

_A/N: This is my first fanfic. I would appreciate reviews, constructive criticism. Do note that this fic is intended to be a romantic one between Raven and Starfire. By the gods, if you don't like that, please don't read. If someone would like to be my beta, I would really appreciate it ^_^'_

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><p>Raven sat in her room with an odd air of detachment from her own belongings. She was far too engrossed in her current work.<p>

Her hands were cold. Blowing into them and rubbing them together, she could hardly manage to bring a tolerable level of comfort to her pale digits. The letters on the book page before her swam and shimmered. The cool fingers rose, rubbed their owner's face, distributing relief to the weary flesh. She pressed them in gently, allowing the coolness to soothe the persistent aching.

Many old books filled the dark, cool space of her room. They have long ago begun the process of fading, centuries nibbling at pages and letters.

Removing her hands from her face, she picked up the pumice stone and worked it along the fresh, hairy vellum before her. Ah, vellum, that king of paper unequaled in its use. The ritualistic smoothing and conditioning of the paper was comforting. Transcription is a difficult skill to master, but so needed with the kind of rare, ancient manuscripts Raven owned and used. Without her diligent work, how many of these venerable works would be reduced to heartbreaking ruin? These living works would die slow deaths, a travesty to the knowledge contained within. And so she worked that night on the eldest book in her collection _A Treatise on Realities, Dimensions, the Aetherium and Their Manipulation_, a real page-turner, as magical teachings go.

She had already worked endless hours on this book alone yet it was only half complete. The team often wondered as to the strange things that certainly must go on behind the door to Raven's bedroom. How outrageously silly their ideas are when, for the most part, she's simply nurturing the helpless child of her library.

Raven knew Beast Boy was always coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas about what she did behind closed doors. There was voodoo, black rituals, and all sorts of chicanery she was supposedly in on. But the ideas in his mind were far more interesting than grinding out page after page from musty books in her spare time. Of course, there were other things she did. One cannot merely leave their room to eat and fend off villains. She frequented the roof for meditation, went to the kitchen often for tea, and would generally sit around reading or watching as the others went about their business.

Following the fall of her demon father, Trigon, Raven had been partaking in a greater amount of these less solitary activities. It was refreshing to be free of destiny. She had believed her fate was set in stone, but luckily, her friends had pulled her up and refuted what she believed would be the inevitable outcome of her life. Still, old habits die hard. Her cynicism and biting sarcasm still very much lived on, as well as her short temper.

But, she noted with a bit of anxiety, those defenses from emotion were slipping. Before the moment of the prophecy, she had wondered whether she really was the person she made out for everyone else to see. She had honed herself for years, and now that it was finished… what was her purpose? They say that, after so much time behind a mask, you turn into what you pretended to be. If that was true, then she wasn't ready for normality, or whatever suggestion of normality there can be for a young heroine.

"It's late," Raven said to no one. The night was an abyssal blue.

Her work could wait. She stood, straightened her aching spine, and made way to her dresser. Opening a wide drawer, the familiar scent of mahogany floated out. She put on her typical night clothes and went about the duties preceding sleep. Every light suffused her senses with pain. She shunned it as best she could on most occasions, but now, it affected her more than ever. Her eyes were taking the brunt of the toll from her scholarly endeavor. The close reading with moderate light had put a definite strain on her eyes, and she found herself wishing for sunglasses so that she may cut the stabs of light from her bathroom sconces.

She crawled into her bed when she was done. Limply, her body slipped between the sheets.

Grateful for the dark, she drowned into slumber.

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><p><em>AN: So, yeah. That was the start of it. I'll have the next chapter up soon. Again, reviews are appreciated!_


	2. Chapter II

Hello readers! Got this out later than I expected, but I made up for it it by writing more than I had planned. Thank you to the beautiful lone soul who gave a review. I truly appreciate it. Everlasting thanks is directed to my dear friend Taylor who beta'd this.

I hope you guys like it :3

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><p>The fledgling morning was a light gray. The sky was overcast, and a white light reflected from the fog off the coast.<p>

Despite the few hours sleep she had, Raven's eyes opened early to the day. She never really knew how to sleep in. Her body just naturally awoke in the morning and, in spite of infrequent attempts, she couldn't manage to fall back into the numbing pit of sleep. She glanced at the clock on her dresser. Typically, it would be 6 o'clock. The timepiece read 6:30. Half an hour extra sleep. It was all she could manage. Raven lifted herself from her bed; it was time for the morning routine. The cleaning, the endless cleaning of self and room space, capped the start and end of each day. At the very least, that was the part of her life that was most normal. She overlooked her room as she exited her bathroom. Many tools and pages were crowded around her desk where she did her work. She walked to her desk and cleaned it up; clutter always gave her anxiety. She picked up the last page she worked on, scrutinizing her handiwork. Pleased with the outcome of her penmanship and the outlines of her illumination work, she changed into her customary raiment and made her way to the common room.

She usually managed to make it in before the storm, but every morning there was always someone who discovered her and broke that morning's solitude. And there she was, turning the corner down hall. Starfire. Her effervescent attitude grated on the mundane air surrounding Raven, but she meant well, and Raven couldn't blame her for her personality. Today, like most mornings, Raven wondered why the alien princess made the circuitous route to her door.

"Oh good morning, friend Raven!" the lively alien girl exclaimed, always managing to be too loud for comfort in the inherent quietness of daybreak.

"Good morning, Starfire," the dark girl answered in a tone appropriate for the still morning.

Resigned, she waited for the bone bruising hug that always accompanied their morning exchange. Despite herself, and her poor collapsed ribcage, Raven found comfort in the bear hug. Eventually relinquished from the clinch, Raven breathed in deeply to stretch out her compacted insides. The morning air was crisp, even in the tower. This, combined with the naturally saccharine scent of Starfire, made the air restorative to her groggy mind. She looked up at Starfire, whose shining green eyes stared back.

"Are you going to get breakfast?" Raven asked the red-haired alien princess in her characteristic gravelly tone.

"Thank you, dear friend, but I must go to the place of ingredients and purchase mustard. It a most delectable drink and breaking my fast is not complete without it," replied the happy-go-lucky girl.

With a nod, Raven began on her way and stopped. She turned and addressed her friend.

"Hey, I would wait until Robin or Cyborg were up. I'd rather you took someone so they could help you out," said Raven with a tinge of concern. Switching bodies, fighting side by side, it let Raven understand the other girl well. And with that understanding came a modicum of protectiveness.

"Very well, friend Raven. I do not wish to get lost or create a problem with my lack of understanding for your earthly ways," said Starfire. She was shy at this point. She usually became like this when she was aware of her deficiency in understanding of the daily actions of earthlings.

Feeling better with the situation, Raven turned and continued on her way. Finally arriving at her destination, she entered the kitchen. She didn't eat much and favored herbal tea, so today was no different. She made her customary cup and picked for today a slice of toast with a very fine smearing of apple jelly. She heard bustling in the hallway.

"I'm telling you, toDAY is the DAY we all eat sausage for breakfast!," cried Cyborg as the door opened.

"And I'm saying toDAY we're all havin' tofu!," rejoined Beast Boy.

The infamous battle over breakfast continued. Day after day of the same fight wearied her. But she was glad that she had something like that in her life, something so simple. She found herself appreciating those little things, especially since the alternative would have been full destruction by the hand of her father. _We all almost died_. _If I didn't have my friends..._, she thought to herself, _It's been nearly a year now and I still cannot let it go_. Again, a little fear gripped her at the dismantling of her carefully wrought defenses. More tea was drunk, the toast consumed, and the tightness left.

No sign of Boy Wonder or Starfire. She must have gotten a hold of him and dragged him to the supermarket. Raven exchanged pleasantries with the two boy team mates and pulled out a thin volume from her cloak pocket.

"Hey Rae, I know you want to try tofu. Come on, just a little bit?", Beast Boy said as he sidled next to Raven, a plate of cooked tofu in hand.

"Look, BB, everyone knows sausage is better. I know this because Rae here will eat some of my sausages!", was Cyborg's retort. He too slid next to Raven, a plate of sausages and eggs in hand. Both boys stared at her expectantly.

"What?", Raven said with an edge of annoyance.

"You gotta tell us which one is better! You have to be our judge. Pleeeease? Pretty please?", her green skinned team mate implored.

Raven stared as hard and as apathetically as possible, but the boys merely edged their plates ever closer to her face. With an exasperated noise, the grey skinned girl took a fork and sampled a bite from each plate. Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed almost surprised she gave in, but then started jabbing each other with their elbows and started saying how she would favor their dish.

Swallowing the last bite the young empath looked up to each of their faces and said, "I can't tell the difference." This floored her team mates and they began to argue.

"What! That's impossible. Tofu and sausage are totally different. Because SAUSAGE is actually tasty. And eggs are like the holy grail of breakfast foods. Way different than that white block of bean paste!", Cyborg complained.

"Tofu is the holy grail you mean. Sausage and eggs taste like puke! Tell him Rae.", Beast Boy retorted.

Raven simply shrugged. She couldn't really say that she liked one or the other better. If she did then her other friend would be dejected, and the "winner" would gang up on them. Refusing to elaborate further the boys grumbled and sat down to eat their meals. Within a few minutes, however, the incident was all but forgotten and the boys went back to their jokes and boasts. She returned to her book.

When Raven became aware of time again, it was because of a joyous shout from Starfire as she and Robin entered the room. It took her a second to get back to speed. Reading was an immersing activity, and when awoken from it, the impression it gave her was one akin to coming up out of water for air. Not until her mind surfaced from the depths of thought would her body allow her to breathe.

"Greetings friends! We come bearing many foods from the... what is it called again?," said Starfire asking the last bit to Robin who was a few steps behind carrying a veritable mountain of paper bags bursting with consumables.

"Grehery Serhh!," came the muffled reply.

"Dude we can't hear you. You are carrying way too much stuff! How did you even get this far holding all of it?," Beast Boy chirped as he moved in to take a load off of Robin's hands. He nodded at Cyborg as he too picked up some of the weight.

"Thanks BB, Cy. Star, it's called a grocery store," stated Robin clearly, now that he had a more manageable load to take to the kitchen. The four heroes placed the bags on the counters and began to unpack. Raven got up from her spot and approached them.

"Hey, Rae," greeted Cyborg "Are you coming to help us?"

Raven nodded. "It seems like there's plenty to sort out."

Cyborg nodded back and cleared a bit of space for Raven to stand at the crowded counter. She padded over and began to sort the food into freezer food, pantry items, and whatever else that would require refrigeration. The team chatted amicably as they worked, alleviating some of the tediousness of stocking goods. Raven looked over to see Starfire placing a straw resembling a candy cane into a large container of mustard, a gleeful look on her tanned face. She caught Raven looking and offered her a sip. When Raven refused she began to drink deeply. The young empath shuddered but gave a small grin at the alien princess's joy. The young heroes spent a few more minutes stocking, some of which was spent by Beast Boy and Cyborg dueling with celery sticks, and they finished and stood together enjoying a job well done.

"All right Titans, today we have a free day since we successfully put away Cinderblock a few days ago. " Robin told them.

Cyborg and Beast Boy cheered. "Sweet, I am SO beating your GameStation high score!" cried Beast Boy as he hopped over the couch to grab a controller.

"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it, BB!" responded Cyborg as he joined his friend.

"Don't get too comfortable guys. We will have a training session tomorrow afternoon," Robin tried to say over the booming sounds coming from the tv as the video game was turned on.

Raven turned her attention back around and saw Robin was already walking out of the room. _Probably to do training alone. As if we don't push ourselves hard enough as it is._ Starfire looked as if she was about to say something, but she stopped herself. Raven quirked an eyebrow and left as well, heading towards the elevator to the top of Titan Tower. _Might as well meditate. _The past year had been a whirlwind of fires to put out, people to save, and villains to chase down. With the Cinderblock away there were no known enemies left in Jump City to threaten the populace. The free day was the first respite they had in a month or more and Raven was hoping to deal with some of her leftover demons.

Raven reached the roof, her favorite place to meditate and relax. The view was outstanding. None better in all of the world, to her. Jump City sprawled before her eyes, a thick crescent moon of buildings, homes, businesses, and people all located by the sea. She walked out to the very edge of the building and sat down, cross legged. She looked within herself, she found her center, and floated off the ground. She began her chants

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion...", she went on and on. Now all that was left was to sort herself out.

Her father, at once the source of all her fears, was finally banished. He would no longer harm her, her world, and, most importantly, her friends ever again. But what was left for Raven? Before, it was her defined goal to prevent prophecy from becoming reality, that she didn't give much thought to what would happen after she had either succeeded or cast the universe into her demon father's hands. She enjoyed her work as a Titan, creating safety for those who could not defend themselves. She enjoyed her friends, her fellow Titans, even though she didn't show it often. Since she could remember, being alone and safe was fine for her. In fact, it was more than enough. She could not dare to dream any person would help take on the burden given her at birth. And now... now she had people who would do that for her. And she would do the same for them. The stringent rules she held herself to were not as necessary. Certainly, her emotions had to be held back nevertheless, to maintain control over her power. For the first time in a long time Raven felt a lightness of heart, because she realized she could finally let herself love.

_Love?_

Everything in her mind came to a screeching halt.

Love. To love. Be loved. She rolled the word around her head like a bowling ball. It crashed into her other thoughts until it bounced around alone in her mind. She had not really thought about it before. She had felt fleeting instances of attraction or interest at most. The greatest intensity of interest she could remember was her crush on Aqualad. What was the realistic chance that she and the Titan East member and she would be together? Or even be compatible? Sure, he was attractive, self-possessed, a leader. Talented, to be sure. Those qualities are all well and good, but if they couldn't have fun or even get along, then what would be the point? A certain green boy with a toothy grin flashed in her mind. _Beast Boy..._ Raven sighed. She knew he had a crush on her, for whatever reason. Despite how well-meaning he was, and how nice and somewhat funny she actually found him, she did not think she could ever return those feelings. The purple haired girl turned her thoughts to herself. She couldn't even think of any desirable traits she possessed. She wasn't particularly funny, confident, charming, or witty. She wasn't even terribly attractive in her opinion, not like Starfire definitely was. _Maybe I should resign myself to a life of loneliness now. Get started on some cats or something. Maybe my own uninhabited planet. Sure, that sounds reasonable. _Raven was agitated. She hadn't been expecting her line of thought to lead here, to a road so empty. She supposed that at least she'd have the Titans. _That is, until we grow out of our little team._

"Raven!", came the shout from the physical world. "Oh, you are meditating. Perhaps I should have waited until you were done," came the meek follow up.

Turning around in her flying state, the dark girl opened her eyes to see who was addressing her.

"Hi Star. What do you need?" she said.

"Ah, a package arrived with your name on it. Cyborg is bringing it up to the main room right now"

Raven quirked her eyebrow. "A package? I wasn't expecting anything. Hmph. Was there a label saying who sent it?"

"It said that it was from Gotham Museum, I think." The tanned alien walked up to the empath.

"Odd," was the only response from the pensive girl. She released her power and dropped from her floating position to a standing one, and immediately began walking to the stairwell. She noticed that her fellow Titan was not following her. She turned to see where the green eyed girl was and saw that Starfire stood on the edge of the tower. Her arms slightly extended from her sides, appearing as if she was both trying to absorb the view with her body and about to jump off the edge. Raven had spent longer meditating than she thought, for it was nearing sundown and it cast a richer light on everything it touched. The fiery haired girl turned to face her friend. Her face was pinched for a second, as if she was thinking very hard about something, before it cleared into a brilliant smile. The purple haired girl just stood and stared. She was slightly dumb-struck by how beautiful her friend was that moment. She thought then that maybe this is how Robin sees Starfire all the time. It would make his affection for the alien girl highly understandable. _But are they compatible?_ The whispered thought came through her mind, an echo of her thoughts before.

"It is so wonderful out here, Raven! I forget what am amazing view we have."

Raven nodded her head. "Do you want to come along? I thought you would be curious about what I got in the mail."

The green eyed girl bounced in her step as she walked up to Raven. It persisted as the two walked down the stairs and through the halls to the main room. When they approached the door when they heard their fellow team mates speaking within.

"Let's just open it! What would Raven ever get in the mail anyway?" That comment had to be Beast Boy's.

"Man, you're crazy. Rae would shake you around like a rag doll if you opened her stuff. She doesn't even let people into her room, what makes you think she'd be okay with you opening this box? We can wait til she gets here." This more reasonable voice must be Cyborg's.

The two girls entered the room to see Cyborg grabbing Beast Boy's wrists as he lunged for the box. Robin stood to the side, a look of amusement on his face. He raised his hand in greeting.

"Hey. I'm sure Star filled you in on where the box came from. Any idea what it is?" Robin asked.

"I wasn't expecting anything. And, please, Robin. I'm sure you've had it scanned by now. You'll have more of an idea than I do as to its contents," came the dark eyed girl's response as she and Starfire came to a stop before the box. It was a medium sized wooden box, coming up to her knees in height. On the side it was clearly addressed to her, with a return label hailing from Gotham City. No matter how Raven tried to comprehend its presence there, she couldn't figure out why this would be sent her way.

The Titan leader nodded. "I can't help but remember when the Puppet King trapped me and the guys in those wood dolls of his. Had to make sure it was safe. That said, I think it would be best if it was opened in front of all of us. The last thing I want is for something to attack you if you open it alone in your room." Their intrepid leader, making sense as always.

Raven nodded back. She bent down and pushed the box gently as she could for it to lay on its widest side. She could hear beast Boy inhale with excitement as he crouched next to her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Robin tense, prepared for the worst. Cyborg leaned in casually trying to gain a better vantage point. Starfire tilted her head to the side, waiting patiently._ Everyone's more excited about this than I am._ Summoning her powers, the goth girl peeled off the part of the box facing up. There was plenty of Styrofoam beans padding inside. She sifted through them with her hands until she felt the true object in the middle. She pulled it out and found an aluminum briefcase. Robin looked concerned and he tensed further. Without wasting a second she opened the snaps on the case and opened it. A wrapped up book. And a note. She heard Robin sigh softly. _What did he think it'd be? Deadly neuro toxin?_

"A booooooooooooook? Seriously? Augh! And I got so excited," Beast Boy bemoaned.

"What does the note say?" quipped Starfire.

Raven took a look at the note and read aloud.

"Dear Raven, member of the Teen Titans,

It has come to our attention that you are a skilled, if not exceptionally talented, in the arts of transcription and illumination of ancient works. Recently our museum was targeted by thieves hoping to take our most valuable pieces. In the following chase minor damage was made upon the stolen goods, of which the book now placed in you charge had the misfortune of being part of. This is a highly decorated piece and prior to its theft it was to be taken care of by our Preservation Team. We are sorry to report that it was our Preservation Team who had fed information to the thieves and they have all either been incarcerated pending trial or let go by our administration. We could think of no other person with the abilities required to make the necessary repairs to this seminal work. We would also like for you to prepare your own transcribed copy of the work, of which we would like to feature side by side with the original after your work is complete. The Gotham City Museum would like to thank you in advance. We sincerely look forward to your success.

The Gotham Museum, Antiquities Wing"

By the end of the letter Raven's cheeks were red. She folded the letter neatly in half and set it down as she moved into a kneeling position on the floor. For a full ten seconds there was nothing but silence.

Robin is the first to talk, "Wow, Raven. That's an honor. I had no idea that you were able to do something like this. I'm really glad for you."

"Did you hear the part about their own team feeding info to the bad guys! Who would have thought a bunch of guys taking care of all this stuff would want to actually steal it." Cyborg is the next to chip in.

"Uhhhhh," the shape-shifter squeaked out, "what's transcription? And illumination?"

Raven rolled her eyes, but there was a slight tug of a smirk in her mouth. She figured he wouldn't know, but at least he asked. "Transcription is taking a book, like for instance, the one sent here", the still-blushing empath gestured to the worn leather wrapped packet set in the case, "and re-writing it out into a new book. Illumination is taking the pages you transcribed and adding decorative or instructional drawings around the block of text. If you want it more simple, you're making a hand made copy of a book and you get to color the margins."

The green Titan let out a drawn-out sound of understanding after Raven finished. "Huh, I didn't know you could do that either! Is that what you're doing all the time in your room?"

"Most of the time, yes. I have to preserve the knowledge for future generations. I guess you could call it a hobby."

The purple haired girl felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see green ones staring back. "Your hobby is an admirable one. The Tamaraneans place strong value on those who preserve our knowledge for future generations. I must also add my surprise that I did not know this about you."

"I don't try and advertise it." Raven patted the tan alien's hand. "It's not exciting. I do it more out of a sense of obligation."

"Don't put it down, Rae. It's pretty cool in my opinion," Robin commented. The others murmured their agreement.

"It's nice to learn something new about you," came Cyborg's take on the situation. "Although it takes out some of the mystery of what goes on in your room, hahaha."

Raven smiled lightly at her friends. She was touched that they were proud of her. She was even more surprised that they thought this "hobby" of hers was interesting._ I wonder how someone in museum administration found out about about my transcriptioning. I did show that nice librarian at the Gotham University Library my work after she asked what I was researching there. That was probably it._

"Well, open it. I want to see what book is so important that they need you to fix it up," said Beast Boy, ever impatient. However, she too was anxious to see what she'd been given to work with.

Grey hands moved forward and picked up the packet, trying to slide the leather cover off gently as possible. It didn't really do much to protect the book, most of that was taken care of by the pressurized briefcase it was placed in. As the cover came off, she noticed the name of the book.

_You have got to be kidding me._


	3. Chapter III

Hello all! I know it's been quite some time since the last chapter.

I'm happy to report that the next chapter is half done, so that shouldn't be long in coming.

Thank you for reading.

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><p>Raven was completely frozen in place.<p>

The sensations of happy anticipation sublimated in an instant. The team's eyes, she could feel them pushing in, waiting for a reaction. Time slowed, millisecond after millisecond flashing reality like a shutter. Sweat accumulated quietly on skin, vision wavering, eyes drawling across the title, mind bleakly calculating how much time there was left before her reluctance to answer would be picked up on.

Thoughts screeched in Raven's mind. They shouted obscenities, confusion, suspicion, and - most of all – fear. Years of training were all that saved the dark girl from her powers shattering everything in the room.

Who could know to send this to me? Who would possibly know...?

She placed a ghost of a smile on her face. Yes, that would be typical of her in a situation like this. _Right?_

"Wow," was the only word the dark haired could force out of her dry mouth. She nonchalantly covered the book again and began to place it in the case.

"Hey, I didn't get to see!" cried Beast Boy. She glanced up to see him pouting and leaning forward in a futile attempt to see the tome.

"Me either! I thought you wanted to show us what it was, Rae." Cyborg added.

Be perfectly normal.

"The moment I saw the book I could see that it is very fragile. They weren't kidding when they said it was banged up," she said in a highly technical tone, "I couldn't risk further damage. Even this brief air exposure will degrade its content. I have to get this in my room immediately; I have the equipment there to view it without causing damage..." She clasped the aluminum case shut and pressed the button to seal and depressurize it.

As the air hissed out the empath continued, "I know you wanted to see it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Rae, we understand," chimed in Robin. She saw that he seemed concerned, but understood her point. She looked to Cyborg and Starfire, and they too appeared to understand.

Case in hand, she got up left. 

== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X == 

Starfire focused her green eyes on Raven's face. Moments ago there had been joy and celebration that came with the team sharing in Raven's hidden talents, her violet eyes had become peculiarly distant when she looked to her. She had pulled her hood over her head as she stood, covering her face in shadow and the now dark city, visible through the tower's large windows, framed the suddenly sullen girl, making her seem to melt into the night. As the dark haired girl walked out she seemed to be absorbed in her thoughts. Despite her naiveté, Starfire had a knack for watching for how others felt and couldn't help but feel that everything was not alright.

"What a bummer! What's with Raven, anyway? We were having a good time and then she has to go and spoil it," the green shape shifter fumed. Cyborg gave him a look.

"Beast Boy, calm down. Don't forget she's doing this as a favor for the Gotham Museum. She has a responsibility for that book," reasoned Robin before Cyborg could say anything.

"She didn't even tell us what book they sent," continued Beast Boy.

Cyborg sighed. "BB let's just watch tv or play something. You can ask her later if it means so much to you."

The toothy boy simmered down, but still grumbled as he turned on the GameStation.

Starfire turned away from them as the boys began to talk of other things. Robin was a good leader, and he would have it under control. Raven often behaved strangely, and so the other Titans would, in the end, dismiss her actions. Starfire could not, and she needed to talk to her friend. The alien princess walked out of the room and to Raven's door. On her way she couldn't help but wonder, Why is friend Raven acting this way?

The Tamaranean girl had not seen her empath friend act this way since before the fall of Trigon. The dark haired girl had understandably been worried that they would shun her, like others had before when they learned of her heritage and the prophecy that came with her birth. She had been so secretive, so closed off. The alien girl could not help but remember when she had ran away from the Titans too. I went through my transformation and in my fear I believed that they would not accept me. The fiery-haired girl was wrong, as Raven had been. They had saved her from the Cironielian Chrysalis Eater and reaffirmed their bond with her. Her fellow Titans even saved her from a sham of an arranged marriage back on Tamaran.

Raven must not forget that we are true friends.

Starfire stood before the door to her friend's room. I can only hope that she will remember we are not the enemy.

Her fist found the door and she knocked twice. Raven could be heard inside, moving about. The orange skinned girl knocked once more.

"Friend Raven?" Starfire called out. There was no answer.

The alien girl frowned in concern. "I will not bother you if you do not want me to, but I wish to tell you that I am always your friend. You did not seem well as you left...", Starfire began. She felt discouraged at a lack of response. "Please do not shut me out," was all she could bring herself to say as she felt her sadness threaten tears. A deep breath in and a long exhale later, she felt more calm. Dejected, the Tamaranean began to leave.

"W-wait," came the empath's voice through the door. Starfire turned around and listened.

"I know you're my friend, Star. You don't have to worry about me. This is just a really important job, and it hit me all of a sudden when we were in the main room. We can go to the mall tomorrow after practice... if you want." Raven said softly. She was directly on the other side of the door, the green eyed girl could tell, but she didn't open it to talk to her.

"Of course. I would love to do the hanging out with you." Starfire replied. After parting goodbyes, Star walked to her room for the night. She felt better after Raven talked to her, but she was still worried. Maybe tomorrow she will talk to me about it. 

== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X == 

Raven let out a frustrated sigh as she slid down her door. Everything was finally looking up! And now...

She looked at the aluminum case.

... now I delve into a world I thought I'd left behind.


	4. Chapter IV

At first there was the Black. Time and space, sound and life... none could be distinguished here. Without a sense of direction, wandering is all a person could do.

Wandering in the same spot? In an unfathomable vastness? For an eternity, a second, a month, the time it takes to make a cup of tea? Nothing made sense here, and nothing ever would.

Consciousness floating, floundering, wandering and alone; that was all that was known.

Traveling in such immense emptiness makes you feel small. You've been alone so long, you think you'd get used to it. You might have friends now, but what does the future hold? Especially as it's rushing forward to meet you... This past you thought was long dead with your father's bones.

Figures dart forward from the Black. Long fangs and wicked horns, cruel red eyes and, everywhere, laughter. Demon after demon flies past, whipping you to and fro. "Daughter of the Demon Lord! Daughter of the Demon Lord!" they cry, words dripping with malicious intent. Wishing you could fold inside yourself, the mockery, laughs, and wordless bellows crescendo into an ear-shattering cacophony. Wild-haired vixen, gorgeous and deadly, taunt from a semi-circle. They drag their razor-like fingernails over their skin, occasionally cutting flesh. The blood drips down exposed abdomens and breasts, over thighs and dripping from lips. "Daughter of the Demon Lord! Will you join our ranks?" come their seductive whispers, as if they were next to you, breath tickling your ears. Catching sight of them has rendered you impotent. Every attempted movement results in a wave of stomach-ripping nausea. Their bodies change shapes, all gorgeous men and women. While the writhing mass of sexualized bodies keep you entranced, you feel a tendril of... something... probe inside your mind. One of the vixen changes into a familiar face. She has changed to Beast Boy. A pair of the shifting demons changes into Robin and Aqualad. They are glistening with sweat, muscular and tan, a luster in their bronzed skin glows like golden samite. Despite the circus of demons threatening and taunting, the sight is exciting and your skin warms in reaction to your baser instincts. Another mental tendril probes, and impatiently forces itself inside your mind. It hurts too much to scream. Sliding over your trembling cheeks are tears, the only outward indication of your mental torment. The shape-shifted vixen bodies shimmer momentarily, deciding between forms. The shimmering intensifies, looking more like static, before suddenly crystallizing into shape. A very naked set of young women stand where the Titan males once stood. Among them are Starfire, Jinx, Bumblebee, and even Blackfire. Together they stride closer and closer, lasciviously stroking and touching one another occasionally. The change confuses you, but even as your mind attempts to reason your skin grows hotter, your breath comes shallow, and your heart starts beating a ragged tattoo in your chest. They are almost upon you now, the women closest with arms outstretched. The one with the body of Jinx slides her fingers over your tears, erasing their tracks from your skin, and then bringing those fingers to her lips and licking the remains from her fingertips. Blackfire reaches you next, deciding to drag her nails over your neck and down your collarbone, eliciting scores of gooseflesh. Your attentions turn as Starfire saunters near, a decidedly wicked gleam in her eyes. The concentrated attention makes you scared of what's to come. With a frantic internal effort you struggle against the invisible bonds imprisoning you before you just manage to tear your gaze, and body, far away.

Your eyes are closed, and yet visions plague you. Creatures with tentacle darkness, blacker than Black, creep within your minds' eye. There are others with them, creeping behind the tentacled things. These are not the monstrous and erotic shape-shifting demons you faced moments ago, but they are something wholly different and absolutely more terrifying. When your focus returns to the dreadful beings surrounding you, you realize they are stepping closer, a hungry edge to their movements underlying their patient pace. You try to open your eyes, but cannot, even with fingers prying. A hand is on your throat, clutching with deadly might. It is now that your eyelids fly open. Holding you aloft is a dark-grey skinned demon, and the fleeting sight of him is burned into your memory. His face, it is more than handsome than those carved by the sculptors of antiquity. He has small horns curling from his forehead, with black where the whites of his eyes should be. His maroon hair is slicked back in a very clean and crisp style, almost looking gelled into perfect fashion. But it is the irises of your aggressor's eyes that captivate you. They are a gorgeous, regal purple, indeed, similar to your own eyes. But the beauty is lost in such a dead stare; his eyes are that of a killer of killers. "Daughter of the Demon Lord, won't you come and play?" His voice is both charming and patronizing, and thick with promised violence. It is now that you see a pair of fangs and a forked tongue, behind his smiling, chiseled lips. He is, for all the world, the very embodiment of a devil.

Consumed with a desperate bravery born of fear, you shout, "Leave me be! I will not be like him! Like you! You won't take me with you..." The words tumble forth from your lips again and again, until you realize the noise has stopped. Nary could a demon be found, not even the monster that held you in its grip.

An elusive finger of a touch emerges. Terror makes you pull away, almost cry, if you had it in you to do so. A gentle questioning touch continues. It comes from light and warmth. It comes closer, asking, in a way, if you are okay. It surprises you how safe it feels to be near it, after the spectacle of chaos that nearly consumed you. Sparkling well-being washes over the entirety of your existence as it circles.

You think you can see the ethereal presence, but it's always escaping from the corner of your eye. The light is winking in and out of perception, giving you the sensation that it is moving farther away. "Don't leave me!" you hear yourself cry.

The Dark isn't surrounding you now. It's creeping in, slithering through pores and capillaries, through holes your fear left open. Your heart weighs down with the leaden weight of agony, of woe. It was so easy before to move... Now each movement is like swimming in wet concrete. Dark will swallow you soon, and your only thought is of that fleeting safety.

"Don't leave me..."

== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==

Raven shot up in her bed, hand to throat and breathing hard. Her eyes scanned her room nervously, as if she were but a child peering into darkened corners for lurking boogey men.

_What was that dream?_

The sheets puffed up as the empath fell backwards onto the bed. _Thud, thud, thud_. A pressure was building in her veins. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, long and deep, calming her emotions as she knew how to so well. After a few minutes she peered out over the bed. She worried the edge of the thin purple blanket next to her as she tried to recall all of her dream.

_There was the blackness, but wasn't there something that happened before?...Yes, those demons, that devil... And that shining presence..._

A cautious rap at her bedroom door disrupted her reverie.

"Who's there?" Raven called out, once as a tense rasp and then again after clearing her throat.

"Umm, it is your friend, Starfire," came a voice from the hall, "Robin sent me to get you. Are you ok?"

The purple haired girl frowned, confused. "Come and get me? What for? And of course I'm fine." This was a lie, of course, but she couldn't worry Starfire with her dreams. She got up from her place on the bed and started toward the door when she was troubled by a vision. Starfire, naked and caressing her body, eyes locked with her own. Raven's skin grew hot with the memory. She took several deep breathes and repeated the familiar mantra to empty her mind. _Azarath, metrion, zinthos... azarath, metrion, zinthos..._

"We have the team training exercise in 20 minutes friend Raven," Starfire called cautiously through the door. Raven slid the door open a quarter of the way to see her rather anxious female team-mate before her.

"Why is Robin having the exercise so early?" the empath questioned. "I bet Beast Boy won't be up for hours yet."

"Raven, it is 1:40 post meridian time," the orange skinned alien admitted, looking away at the last second.

"Star, the vernacular is p.m. ... wait, what?" at this Raven pulled the door open completely and stared aghast at Starfire.

"I-it's 1:40, um, p.m.," the female alien was startled at her team member's reaction. "I was worried this morning when I did not see you for... our... customary... hug...," her words petered off as she watched the empath's face become shrouded and her eyes grow distant. "...are you certain you are well, friend Raven?" she weakly implored.

Raven snapped back and brought her purple eyes to Starfire's green ones, mentally repeating her mantra to wrest control of her emotions. "I'm fine. Let me get ready. I'll be out on the field soon."

The alien princess stepped toward her magic-using friend and whispered, "I was worried about you. I hope you are fine as you say you are."

The magic-user looked up at the warrior. Starfire had a knack for wearing her heart on her sleeve, and here Raven made no mistake discerning the emotions on her friend's face. The alien girl's face was taut with concern, brows knitted together. A particularly piercing look was coming from her striking green eyes, and light from the recessed ceiling lamps in the hall reflected off of them, bringing a sense of deja vu to the empath. A thin lock of reddish hair fell onto her face. The pale girl held back the brief impulse to push it back. _Thud, thud, thud..._ A fist was pounding the inside of her skull.

"It's okay... I'm okay. Okay?", the pale girl murmured. It was becoming hard to focus on the other girl's face, exceptionally so when brief images of an indecent version of her is plaguing Raven's mind.

Emerald eyes searched her pale face, but nothing could be taken from Raven's countenance. The alien princess let out a sigh. Once Raven put her face in that "mask", there was no way for her to coax her back out.. At least, not any time soon.

"Very well. I will go wait with the others and inform Robin of how 'okay' you are," announced the fiery-haired girl as she slowly turned and left, her fellow team member still standing in the hall, silent as a grave.

Raven watched the warrior walk away. The moment the flash of purple boot passed around the corner she slammed the door shut and pressed her forehead against its calming, cool realness.

_What the hell was that?_

Whatever it was, Raven was anxious as to its meaning. The impure thoughts were surprising, to say the least. Control over her emotions also meant strict rules of her sexuality. These sorts of actions were new to her. And, she had her share of prophetic dreams in the past, and if the blackness and demons were what she thought they were... The bright, warm figure's meaning was one she could only guess at. Perhaps a trickster, luring her into false safety. The magic-wielding girl walked past her work station on the way to her wardrobe. A pale digit extended and swept over the case with the dreaded book inside.

_Damn you, father._

== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==

Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire stood together in the outer training grounds, at the control panel for the high tech obstacle field. Beast Boy and Cyborg were talking in animated voices and horsing around, while Robin paced uncertainly. Starfire stood slightly apart, shifting from one leg to the other, and occasionally glancing at the Tower.

Robin looked down at his watch. It was 3 minutes past 2pm and he was not going to wait any longer. Raven was rarely the center of a problem, which he appreciated as the leader of a troupe of super strong and talented, but hormonal, teenagers. He reminded himself to have a talk with her later. Masked eyes went to Starfire. She had asked him to postpone an hour for Raven, and he had agreed. Still, he could not spare more time, not even at the behest of the girl he cared for dearly. He hoped Raven was not ill.

The Titan leader turned to face his team, the words on his lips to begin practice when a large bird-shaped magical force came from the ground and revealed Raven. Her face was seriously set and seemed... yes, definitely paler than usual, which seemed hardly possible.

"Rae, where've ya been?", Beast Boy smiled and asked breathlessly. No sign of animosity emanated from him regarding the tiff from the day before. He had just gotten up from the ground where Cyborg had been trying to catch him while he was shape-shifted as an eel. The green skinned boy held eye contact with her as he gave his cybernetic friend a hand standing up.

"Hi Beast Boy... I, uh, overslept. Stayed up late with the new book, sorry," the dark girl replied, making sure her trademark monotone voice was in place. She nervously looked toward Robin. He had a disapproving scowl on his face. As she was about to apologize, his face softened, with great concern apparent in his eyes.

"I'm glad you could make it, Rae. Are you certain you are ok?" the Boy Wonder quietly asked her. He remembered that she never liked to admit when she needed help. She didn't want to be a burden and she liked to keep to herself, meaning that he had to gently extract her problems.

"Yes. I didn't mean to make everyone wait," came the dark girl's subdued response. Her eyes pleaded with him to drop it. He seemed dissatisfied with this answer, but decided to let the matter be. The raven-black haired boy nodded his head, and Raven breathed a bit easier.

"I understand. Now, let's begin." the intrepid leader exclaimed.

"Aw yeah!" Cyborg enthused. He turned to Beast Boy and they high-fived each other.

Everyone gathered around Robin and listened to the training program of the day, which he brought up on a hologram projector built into the obstacle course control panel.

Raven did her best to pay attention, but her head was still pounding. The darkly clad girl covertly took deep breaths to steady herself. She shifted her feet, certain that it was her footing causing her to feel like she would keel over. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her side. Glancing to the side, Raven's eyes found Starfire's. In those green on green orbs she saw fear. Aubergine eyes scanned the other Titans faces. The boys were oblivious to their exchange, and it didn't hurt that the two girls were standing behind them, out of immediate eyesight. Looking back to Starfire, Raven almost imperceptibly shook her head, attempting to convey that she didn't need help. But, even that tiny movement ruined her sense of balance and she began to lean away, against her will. Starfire's strong hand shot out and grabbed Raven's opposite side, pulling her back into place. Raven, too woozy to feign normalcy, leaned against the alien princess for stability.

_What is going ON with me?_

The magic-using girl was worried and upset. She hated to feel weak, and now she couldn't even stand by herself.

_At least Starfire isn't making a big deal out of this._

However, Raven could tell her female team mate wanted to tell Robin, right then and there. The cowled girl looked at the Boy Wonder. He seemed to be wrapping up; the day's programme was a simple test of their abilities to keep them sharp, after all. She glanced back to the girl holding her up. Starfire was trying her best to keep her concern off her face. She caught her fair skinned team-mate's glance, yet did not turn her face. The purple haired girl thought that Starfire was ignoring her, with her looking back to the diagram and the dots that represented the course in Boy Wonder's hologram, but soon she started rubbing little, gentle circles on the small of Raven's back. The warrior's hands were a bit callused from the years of fighting, but they were so careful that she could not complain. The warmth radiating off of Starfire was impressive as well. Certainly, when the two girls had their ritual good morning hug the dark girl sampled a bit of her friend's natural body heat. This was completely different. The alien girl's skin felt like sunlight, seeping through Raven's cowl and down, down, into bones, relieving a chill she didn't know was there. The dark girl was surprised. She hadn't expected something so simple would make her feel so much better.

"... and that's what we're doing today. Alright Titans, let's get to it!" the Boy Wonder declared. He punched his fist into his open palm, signaling for the group to break. As the boys readied to turn around and begin, the girls quietly separated. Raven's stance was much steadier, and her head hurt much less. Robin moved to one side of the console, setting up the course for the first person to go. Cyborg and Beast Boy started doing short sprints to warm up, although it was a bit unfair if they were competing since the green shape shifter had changed into a cheetah. While Cyborg was by no means slow, he could not hope to compete with a creature built for speed. Starfire did some half-hearted stretches, her brow wrinkled with thought. Opposite to where Robin was standing, Raven spotted the team's personal canteens. Cy was always talking about how important it is to hydrate when exercising, and made them all get a bottle. Robin, always concerned for his team, made it mandatory to bring them to every practice.

She moved to the edge of the console and looked for her bottle. She found it under Robin's, which of course, was red and black. She picked up her canteen, the black raven graphic on the side caught a little sunlight as she did so. As she lifted it, she knew it was empty.

_Argh, I didn't have time to prepare it today._

A green camo canteen covered in stickers appeared in front of her face. "Wanna sip?" came Beast Boys voice from behind her. His excited gesture spilled a little from the top and it dripped over his hand. The cowled girl grimaced.

"Uhmm..." was her only response. She knew her toothy team mate was not even nearly the most hygienic of individuals. And, while she was undeniably grossed out by the high probability that he had never washed his canteen, she felt that drinking some water would absolutely help her mysterious malady. Reluctantly, she raised her hand to accept his offer.

And found a light purple canteen with a small Silky charm attached to it in her hand instead.

"Friend Beast Boy, Robin is waiting for you to start your obstacle run," Starfire interjected in her normal cheery tone.

"Oh. Right," murmured the boy, his tone morose. The shape shifting boy sullenly recapped his canteen, set it down, and set off to his place on the field.

Raven blinked. _What is Starfire doing?_ When she raised her eyes, the alien princess's hands were mimicking the motion for drinking the canteen. The pale girl understood, and lifted the container to her lips and drank, all the while believing it held water. The liquid inside was slightly bitter, like tea, and definitely more viscous than water. But, it was cool and it was a liquid so she swallowed.

When the liquid hit her stomach, it was like someone punched her directly in the solar plexus, followed by a burning that felt like she drank a shot of the strongest, nastiest alcohol swill. Her small frame doubled over with the severity of the sensation. She put out her hand, gripping the edge of the console with white knuckle pressure. Her eyes shot to Starfire.

"What... is this?", Raven frantically whispered, shoving the canteen into her female team mate's chest. With her other hand free now, it went to clutch the console as well.

"It is Grentklorb, a brew made of the spinal fluid of the fierce Zellragk and the sap of the bluest Quush'rel plant...," the warrior girl replied in the same hushed tone.

"Ugh... never mind... I don't want to know," interrupted the magic-using girl. This was followed by a groan, held mostly to herself.

"On Tamaran, we drink this on the eve of battle to fortify the body. It will strengthen you," and with those final words and a stroke on her friend's back, Starfire left to stand join Robin and Cyborg as the gathered at the console again to watch Beast Boy's trial.

_How many times do I have to tell her that the body chemistry between Tamaranians and humans is way different! By Azar, I might throw up..._

It was all Raven could do to hold down the strange and unpleasant contents in her stomach. With great effort she stood straight and took her place next to Cyborg.

_Just try to look normal... don't think about how you drank the spinal fluid of a crazy Tamaranian monster and that you have no idea what the results of that will be..._

"I'm totally going to smash your record Robin! Just you see!" From her place at the console, Raven could see Beast Boy, boasting, changing into different animals, and stretching.

"We'll see about that!" the Titan leader playfully retorted. "Ready? In 3... 2... 1... GO!" and with his final cry Robin smashed his fist into the over-sized start button.

The gate opened and Beast Boy was off, running as a wolf from the gate. There were a great number of rocks strew about, huge and small. There were a scattering of pillar like stones that leaned precariously against each other and lying on the ground. She could hear him, laughing cockily between jumps from rock to rock, skipping across the pillars on the floor. But, as he almost landed on a rock the size of a small car a proximity mine beeped and flashed several times.

"Ahhh!" came the shape shifter's not-so-manly cry. He quickly changed into a tortoise before the blast shot him into the air. At the top of his trajectory, he popped out of his shell and looked down. His little tortoise eyes widened as much as they could in the surprise of the height he achieved. Now he was falling, faster and faster, down to earth. With 10 feet to go he changed into a peregrine falcon and used the speed he gathered to make a mighty upward swoop to be level with the ground.

Robin saw his change in tactics and pressed a series of buttons on the control panel. Hidden cogs and machinery reacted to his wishes. From the top of the larger rocks popped up a series of turrets, aiming at the airborne Beast Boy. These turrets were training apparatus only, made to hurt, but mostly stun the individual struck. He tried to outmaneuver the laser-targeting system, but it was catching up to him. Shots singed feathers as he swerved side to side, barrel rolled, and tucked through breaks in large rocks, and in between the gaps of rocks lying together. This bought him some extra time, and within about 30 feet to the end zone of the trial. At this point Beast Boy was flapping with all of his might when one struck him directly in the rear. The shock made him shift back into his human form, and the forward momentum he had as a falcon made him rocket into the finish zone. He landed with a meaty bounce. He still had plenty of momentum left, and he skipped across the floor like a rock skipping over water. Finally, he landed on his face and skidded to a stop, his butt sticking in the air, slightly sizzling from the shot he received.

Cyborg laughed heartily. "Nice trial there, BB!", he shouted from cupped hands. He snickered as he walked over to his best pal.

"What wuz my time?", came Beast Boy's weak reply. He flopped over onto his back and his chest rose and fell quickly as he panted.

"I dunno man, but that was priceless! I wonder if Robin has the course trials recorded...", mused the half machine Titan. He gingerly picked up Beast Boy and slung him over his shoulder before walking back to everyone. When they got back to the group Cyborg lifted his friend and sat him on the edge of the console, to which he made a loud "Ow!" from sitting on his stinging behind. The shape-shifter's head lolled as he tried to get his bearings.

"What was my time?", he manages to ask when he catches sight of Robin, just the one instead of 3 wavering versions of him. The Boy Wonder grins.

"3 minutes, 26 seconds", Robin replies smugly. Beast Boy groans at the news. "I told you I'm the King of the course!" he tacks on after.

"I'm not even close to your best time!", BB whines. He puckers his face into a pout and glares at the floor. Cyborg claps his friend on the back.

"It's one of your better times, dude. You didn't do half bad. Except for the whole shot-in-the-butt part, haha!", Cy laughed. BB gave him a searing stare, which just made his friend laugh harder.

"Are you ok?", Starfire ventures to ask. She walks up to Beast Boy and looks him over.

"Yeah... my butt hurts though.", he grumbled like a child. His face was priceless: a grumpy glint in his eyes, a slight blush from embarrassment, a fine powdering of dust everywhere, and a boyish ruffle in his hair making him look like a rooster. Raven laughed inwardly at the caricature. He's scuffed up and dirty, but otherwise unhurt.

"Your hair is ridiculous", Raven said lightheartedly, although still in her characteristic monotone. Her strange weakness seemed to have passed and she felt strong enough to take pleasure in the moment. Standing before him, she reached her hand up and patted down his hair. Each pat loosed a small cloud of dust and a small shower of sand from the top of his head. Robin looked over her approvingly.

_Seems like he's okay with me now. Maybe Starfire's Tamaranian concoction actually worked._

"Beast Boy, you're going to have to shower today, and that's an order!", Robin grinned as he said this. A disgruntled noise escaped from the dusty boy's throat, while Cyborg patted his back hard knocking large amounts of sand and dirt off of him to make a point. "For now, we should continue with the training. Raven, you're next."

Raven nodded and approached the starting point. Starfire's face was definitely hesitant.

"BWEEEEP BWEEEEEEP BWEEEEEEP - ", came the siren from the tower. A series of red flashing lights popped up around the console. Everyone turned and looked to each other, and then to Robin. His face was grimly set as he opened the holo screen to discover the source of the alarm.

"Trouble!", he barked. "We need to get to the downtown immediately." The Titans set out swiftly for their city, Starfire taking Robin, Beast Boy carrying Cyborg, and Raven flying alone.

== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==== X ==

"You fools, you've compromised us!" shouts a cloaked figure. A hand darts out and smashes the skull of a passing imp. All around is fire and destruction for a whole city block, and a flurry of imps and unknown creatures, as well as a few other cloaked humanoids, are fighting and firing both at each other and the citizens of Jump City.

"Compromise this!" comes a cry from above, and as the figure looks up to the origin of the noise he catches Cyborg's fist in his face.

The Titans set to work. Beast Boy, still in a pterodactyl state, flies around and catches several creatures mid-air and tosses them about. A series of small metal spheres shoot from Robin's hand as he is released from Starfire's grasp, falling into the melee. The balls, now in the thick of the aerial fighting, explode. Those that were stunned or wounded by Robin's attack are further damaged by a furious bombardment of Starfire's starbolts and eye-beams along with Cyborg's sonic blasts. Raven, who had lagged a tad behind, caught up to the rest in time to use her powers to shield and transport the citizenry to safety.

One of the unknown humanoids stood up and looked directly at Raven. "Dalne will hear of this!" he roared at the other cloaked persons, and he began to speak in a hissing and guttural language. The fighting instantly broke off and one by one the creatures reformed around the humanoids, who had begun chanting in their strange language. Black and red energy flowed round their bodies, and strange, fiery symbols appeared on their foreheads. Robin flung out a tracking bug at the last second, and ZAP! the whole host of villains were gone.

"Yeah! And don't you come back either!", yelled Beast Boy, as he dropped onto the ground by he team mates. He panted and bent over.

"Did you get them?", Cy asked. Robin had walked into the center of where the fighting had just been and picked up his tracker. He held it up for them all to see, and then threw it to the ground in frustration.

"Who were they?", Robin grinded out from between his clenched teeth, "And what did they come for?"


End file.
